COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens
Most Children and All Teens Can Get COVID-19 Vaccines
CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect against COVID-19.
Authorized For | Pfizer-BioNTech | Moderna | J&J / Janssen |
4 years and under | No | No | No |
5–11 years old | Yes | No | No |
12–17 years old | Yes | No | No |
18 years and older | Yes | Yes | * |
*Everyone ages 18 years and older should get a booster dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (mRNA COVID-19 vaccines) at least 2 months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) vaccine in most situations.
Widespread vaccination for COVID-19 is a critical tool to best protect everyone from COVID-19 and COVID-19 related complications.
Everyone ages 12 years and older should get a COVID-19 booster shot. Learn more about booster shots.
Learn about myths and facts or get answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children.
Find a COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5 Years and Older
The federal government is providing the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.
Check with your child’s healthcare provider about whether they offer COVID-19 vaccination.
Check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination walk-ins or appointments are available for children.
Contact your state, territorial, local, or tribal health department for more information.
Find a COVID-19 vaccine: Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.
Why Children and Teens Should Get Vaccinated for COVID-19
There are approximately 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old in the United States, and there have been nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 within this age group during the pandemic. COVID-19 can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death. Children are as likely to be infected with COVID-19 as adults and can
Get very sick from COVID-19
Have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19
Spread COVID-19 to others, including at home and school
As of mid-October 2021, children ages 5 through 11 years have experienced more than 8,300 COVID-19 related hospitalizations and nearly 100 deaths from COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 ranks as one of the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5 through 11 years.
Children who get infected with COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)—a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Since the pandemic began, more than 2,300 cases of MIS-C have been reported in children ages 5 through 11 years. Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with children without underlying medical conditions.
Help Protect Your Child, Your Family, and Others
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help protect children ages 5 years and older from getting COVID-19.
Vaccinating children can help protect family members, including siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and family members who may be at increased risk of getting very sick if they are infected.
Vaccination can also help keep children from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19.
Vaccinating children ages 5 years and older can help keep them in school and help them safely participate in sports, playdates, and other group activities.
Help protect your whole family and slow the spread of COVID-19 in your community by getting yourself and your children ages 5 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19.
Protect Unvaccinated Children Unvaccinated children ages 2 years and older should wear a mask in public spaces and around people they don’t live with. Learn more about protecting unvaccinated family members.
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